Proposition: Sale of the former Elmer Avenue SchoolThe proposition is a separate resolution on the ballot asking for authorization for the district to sell the building at 90 Elmer Avenue, the former Elmer Avenue Elementary School, for at least $450,000.

The district believes now is an appropriate time to sell the property because the cost to make the necessary renovations to the building is large and could not be offset by building aid from the state. As part of our long-range planning, we deemed it prudent to close the building and use our financial resources on other schools. If the proposition is voted down, the district would need to pursue options such as a higher purchase price or leasing it to an outside organization.

The Schenectady City School District Board of Education approved a $202,446,363 2019-2020 Budget at the April 17 meeting. The plan represents a 4.12% increase over the current year and reduces the tax levy by $750,000 or 1.44%, making the lowest it has been in ten years.

The proposal call for the addition of 48.5 positions, including teachers and clinicians that serve to expand and support the General Education Continuum (GEC), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), expansion of the Summer Enrichment Program, as well as positions and services that aim to keep high school students on the path to graduation. The plan also allows for the addition of 12 teacher interns (not included in the position additions above).

Residents will head to the polls on May 21 to vote on the spending plan. Voters will also elect three members to the board of education and decide on a sale of the former Elmer School building.

Superintendent Larry Spring presented to the board of education Wednesday, a budget proposal that is slightly revised since the one presented on April 3. The updated plan includes an additional $500,000 worth of positions and services.

The $202 million proposed spending plan calls for the addition of 51 positions (plus 12 teacher interns), including teachers and clinicians that serve to expand and support the General Education Continuum and social emotional learning, expansion of the Summer Enrichment Program, as well as positions and services that aim to keep high school students on the path to graduation. The proposal represents a 3.97% increase over the current year and calls for a 1.44% or $750,000 reduction of the tax levy, making it the lowest it has been since 2010.

District Budget Proposal$202,162,188$7.7 million increase (3.97%)

Programs and Services$4.8 million increase (2.5%)

Tax Levy$ 750,000 decrease (-1.44%)

Schenectady is able to add staff, programs and services due to a $7.7 million increase in Foundation Aid. The proposal calls for the addition of 31.5 teachers, 5 administrators, 3 paraprofessionals, 1.5 secretarial positions, 4 operations and maintenance positions, a middle management position and 17 other positions including teacher interns and a liaison/translator.

Since April 3, Kimberly Lewis, district director for business and finance, refined rollover estimates and projections, and determined an additional $500,000 can be spent in the upcoming budget.

The proposal calls for a large portion of the funds to be used by the schools. Allocations to each school are determined by the school's New York State Education Department's accountability status.

Hamilton, Howe, Woodlawn, Zoller, Central Park, and Oneida - schools in good standing - will each receive $15,000. "These school are not likely to receive improvement monies next year so we decided to provide this funding to support them," said Lewis.

Schools designated as Targeted Support and Improvement (TSi), which include Van Corlaer, Mont Pleasant, and Schenectady High School, will each receive $20,000.

Lincoln, King, Paige, and Pleasant Valley are schools designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools (CSI). They will each receive $25,000.

Keane Elementary, a receivership school, will receive $30,000.

Additionally, a portion of the $500,000 will be allocated toward district level identified needs as follows:

1 cleaner
Increased funding for the Summer Enrichment Program.
1 Assistant Facilities Director
Funding will be allocated to add water fountains and acoustical treatments, which help manage echoing and noise in rooms with high ceilings.

Lewis noted that the district is slowing replacing water fountains in the schools. The funding will help "step up" the installation of those.

Here is an outline of the 2019-2020 Budget Proposal:

ELEMENTARY PROGRAM CHANGES: $1,981,400
MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM CHANGES: $904,000
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM CHANGES: $1,106,500
DISTRICT SUPPORT CHANGES: $1,297,900

Schenectady Superintendent Larry Spring presented, to the board of education on April 3, a $202 million draft budget that adds 61 positions, including teachers and clinicians that serve to expand and support both the general education continuum and social emotional learning as well as positions and program enhancements that are poised to help high school students graduate. The plan, which represents a 3.96% increase over the current year, also calls for a 1.44% or $750,000 reduction of the tax levy, making it the lowest it has been since 2010.

Schenectady is able to add $4.3 million in staff, programs and services due to a $7.7 million increase in Foundation Aid. “We think we got a reasonable increase,” said Spring. “The distribution of aid is more to the liking of what we think it should be, prioritizing higher need districts.” While Schenectady is still shorted, the increase in 2019-2020 will afford the district to do much more.

The draft proposal calls for the addition of 31.5 teachers, 4 administrators, 3 paraprofessionals, 1.5 secretarial positions, 3 operations and maintenance positions, a middle management position and 17 other positions including teacher interns, school substitutes and a liaison/translator.

Under the proposal, every school in the district is set to receive a boost. The amount that each school receives is based on a building needs index with 1 having the least need and 4 having the most. The needs index considers many variables including proficiency, poverty rate, reading, special education classification rates, behavior, suspensions, daily attendance, retention and English as a New Language (ENL).

When the budget development process began, Spring asked school and district leaders to submit proposals for things that they determined were needed to support student academic growth going forward. Those proposals came to a total of approximately $17 million. In recent days, those same leaders met to discuss and prioritize items.

The draft proposal includes:

Elementary Program Changes: $1,746,400
Middle School Program Changes: $854,000
High School Program Changes: $1,086,500
District Support Staffing Changes: $1,092,900

General Education Continuum Teachers

8.5

Students who are served through GEC are making progress. Schools want to add this. Literacy improvement.

By adding 6 teachers, more sections will be created/960 student slots. Fills holes in schedules with course credits.

Special Education Teachers

2.0

Elementary

Common Branch Teacher (Van Corlaer)

1.0

To eliminate split

Teacher Induction Coach

1.0

Teacher to serve as a mentor all new teachers regardless of when they are hired. Provide support, feedback etc.

Instructional Support Teacher

1.0

Middle School

AVID Teacher (Social Studies)

1.0

High School – Program Expansion

Grad Lab Teacher

1.0

High School – Focus is on students who want to graduate but have barriers before them.

Math Intervention Specialist

1.0

Elementary School

School Counselor

1.5

Middle School

Social Workers

4.5

Elementary and Middle School & 1 Crisis Prevention

Psychologist

1.0

Mont Pleasant Middle School

Intensive Case Manager

1.0

High School

Engagement Dean

1.0

High School

Instructional Supervisor

1.0

This will provide position to the only elementary school that does not have one.

Teacher Interns

12

Pre-Service Teachers – 2 years of working in district with certified teacher as co-teacher, participating in professional development.

Substitute Teachers

2.0

Elementary School

Crisis Prevention Team Office Manager

1.0

Allows the clinicians to see more kids and to do so more efficiently.

Equity & Cultural Responsive Education Supervisor

1.0

Provide professional development, bring awareness to and push work in the shift to culturally responsive instruction

Assistant Director Student Intervention Services

1.0

This position addresses growth in the General Education Continuum and systems within.

Assistant Principal

1.0

Elementary School

Teaching Assistants

3.0

Elementary School

Diversion Specialist

1.0

Will work with families whose children are on diversion to keep them engaged, on until moved to case workers or service provider in school.

Fiscal Analyst

1.0

Analysis for long range planning and effective spending

Central Receiving/Duplication Clerk

1.0

Addresses the heavy volume of work that results in overtime

HVAC – R Technician

1.0

Districtwide Need – Have made cuts in this area in the past. Positions not restored. There is work that needs to be addressed immediately.

HVAC Technician

1.0

Districtwide Need – Have made cuts in this area in the past. Positions not restored. There is work that needs to be addressed immediately.

Account Clerk Typist

.5

Increase .5 position to 1.0 – dedicate to co-curricular accounts.

Cleaner

1.0

Great need for additional cleaners.

Data Counselor

Adding time in summer for data counselor so work on data can be done prior to September

Hispanic Liaison Translator

Part-time

Parent Liaison Hours

Afterschool Program

Student Supplies - $5 per student

Additionally - Looking at list of supplies systematically and determining what we can purchase as a school to reduce the cost for parents.

Summer Enrichment Program

Services students in Pre-K through 8

District Vehicle

Transportation of small groups and teams

Software Licenses

Computer Technology

APEX Software Licensing

Student Field Trips

Professional Development Conference

Mediation Matters Expansion

Middle School

AVID Expansion

Middle and High School

Through the process, the following were identified as needs but will be funded using carryover from 2018-2019:

Graphing Calculators/Microscopes

Classroom Libraries – Grades 4, 5

Bookmobile

Literacy and Math Interventions

Research-Based Reading Materials

Math Kits for Intervention

Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

Tier 3 Curriculum

Chromebook Carts

Auditorium Sound System at Mont Pleasant

Replace Gym Partition at SHS

Replace Kiln at SHS

“We want to continue to add to the General Education Continuum and add sections to the high school,” said Spring. “We are seeing accelerated growth with the GEC – it’s fantastic.” He said the district also needs to be able to continue to feed those places where there is mental health need. Spring stressed that “reducing the tax levy again, is important.”

Throughout the budget development process, input was collected through community engagement sessions, school-based meetings, Let’s Thought and Thoughtexchange.

A budget proposal will be presented on April 10. The board is expected to adopt a final budget on April 17.